Learn2Sail
Learn2Sail
5
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Sailing Boat Day Trips and Sunset Cruises from Albufeira Marina, all year and every day.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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5.0
192 reviews
Excellent
184
Very good
4
Average
3
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Michael-Martina B
Valasske Mezirici, Czech Republic16 contributions
Sept 2020
I just returned from the Beginner 2 Skipper course at L2S in Portimao. It was an absolute awesome experience. The 1st week was the competent crew and the instructor was David ( filling in for Mark the owner) David was great, calm demeanor teaching us the basics while sharing tips and tricks from his many years as a sailor. I came from this course feeling confident in the basics and prepared for the following weeks Day Skipper course. The day skipper course was instructed by Mark and was full of hands on experience for me with lots of time at the helm and also practicing my navigating skills. I fell 100% difference in my confidence to skipper a boat and excited to continue to pursue my sailing education. Looking at dates already for the Skippers MasterClass. Mark's sailing savy and decades of experience as an instructor really showed with his patience and no problem attitude of answering the same questions over and over as I tried to take it all in. The total experience was a 10 out of 10 for me and I can't wait to return to L2S for the next step next. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Written 29 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill&Jools
Great Torrington, UK140 contributions
Jul 2022 • Solo
I’ve just got back from a week on Osprey doing my competent crew. Everything from first contact with Jane by email to leaving the boat on Friday night was extremely well organised and reassuring for a complete novice. I spent the night before the course on board which was great for familiarisation with the boat, and guaranteed me the front cabin!
My 2 crew mates (both doing day skipper level training) joined at about 9:30 on the Monday along with our instructor Steve. Mark popped down to see we were all ok too.
The boat was well provisioned and in very good condition.
We had some very unusual weather which did hamper our ability to do what was planned as the wind was a very gusty force 6 for most of the daytimes but died to nothing in the early to mid afternoon.
This meant we could do less sailing than we would have liked and had to do more under motor. It also meant we were confined to Portimao marina for each evening. Having said that there were plenty of lovely restaurants for evening meals and I was with great crew mates so we ate together each night.
When we could sail on Thursday and Friday the experience was second to none. I loved it. We all passed our courses. For me the clearest benefit of the course was confidence - on day 1 I felt so clumsy and overwhelmed by the boat and the terminology of sailing, by day 5 I was utterly hooked.
I can’t wait to do day skipper with Learn2Sail next year and would thoroughly recommend them to anyone thinking of trying their hand at sailing. I’m not the fittest or strongest 50+ and whilst I would recommend some fitness work if you are similarly challenged Steve was excellent at ensuring I could achieve everything and was very patient with all of us.
Thanks to Steve, my crew mates, Mark and Jane and, whilst I agree with others that it is a course not a holiday, it is also one of the best (if not the best) weeks I have spent abroad in a very long time and I certainly feel that I’ve had a holiday.
See you next year
My 2 crew mates (both doing day skipper level training) joined at about 9:30 on the Monday along with our instructor Steve. Mark popped down to see we were all ok too.
The boat was well provisioned and in very good condition.
We had some very unusual weather which did hamper our ability to do what was planned as the wind was a very gusty force 6 for most of the daytimes but died to nothing in the early to mid afternoon.
This meant we could do less sailing than we would have liked and had to do more under motor. It also meant we were confined to Portimao marina for each evening. Having said that there were plenty of lovely restaurants for evening meals and I was with great crew mates so we ate together each night.
When we could sail on Thursday and Friday the experience was second to none. I loved it. We all passed our courses. For me the clearest benefit of the course was confidence - on day 1 I felt so clumsy and overwhelmed by the boat and the terminology of sailing, by day 5 I was utterly hooked.
I can’t wait to do day skipper with Learn2Sail next year and would thoroughly recommend them to anyone thinking of trying their hand at sailing. I’m not the fittest or strongest 50+ and whilst I would recommend some fitness work if you are similarly challenged Steve was excellent at ensuring I could achieve everything and was very patient with all of us.
Thanks to Steve, my crew mates, Mark and Jane and, whilst I agree with others that it is a course not a holiday, it is also one of the best (if not the best) weeks I have spent abroad in a very long time and I certainly feel that I’ve had a holiday.
See you next year
Written 17 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maya B
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Family
I had an amazing time doing my day skipper, the instructor Luis was fantastic and I felt really comfortable asking questions. I would 100% recommend choosing learn2sail to do sailing courses. As soon as we arrived Mark and Jane said hi and everyone was really welcoming. Luis was really positive and helped me gain confidence throughout the week.
Written 20 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lakshmi
San Francisco20 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
My husband and I completed our Day Skipper training with Mark and would highly recommend him and Learn2Sail – for anyone looking to learn to sail or improve their sailing skills. Mark was VERY thorough, patient and an excellent instructor. Because of his training, we now feel confident to take a catamaran out on our own – and have chartered a 40 foot Fontaine Pajot 6 weeks after we finished our certification. From the very first time we reached out, Jane was very professional and clear in her communications and had us well prepared for this exciting – but initially nervous – adventure. We had certain dietary restrictions and Jane gracefully accommodated them.
Written 23 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vicky T
6 contributions
Jun 2023 • Solo
I’ve just finished my 5 Day Day Skipper Practical with Learn to Sail. Absolutely everything about my experience was excellent, Dave our instructor was very knowledgeable, patient and very good at explaining everything. Portimao is a great base with lots of different sailing opportunities and other places to visit during the course such as Lagos and Albufeira. The bed on Osprey was so comfy too, and as I was the only woman on the boat I had my own en-suite as well. I would highly recommend Learn2Sail to anyone who wants to learn about and practise their sailing. Mark and Jane are doing a great job. Hope to be back again some day.
Written 8 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan A
1 contribution
Dec 2020
I completed several courses with Learn2Sail. The lead instructor was very skilled in sailing and boat handling, coupled with a great ability to share his knowledge. I was very happy with Learn2Sail and would definitely recommend learning with them.
Written 15 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jimpcardiff
Llanstadwell, UK9 contributions
Feb 2023
Great time with Mark on Learn2Sail's Catamaran completing Day Skipper (me) and Competent Crew (my son) - highly recommended - a year late due to Covid but definitely worth waiting for! Jane made sure we had every we needed and Mark's combination of clear explanations and practical guidance was just what we needed. The Cat was a very comfortable base and Portimao with also overnight stay in Lagos gave us a true Portugese experience.
Written 4 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kate H
1 contribution
Jun 2022
We had long talked about completing our day skippers qualification. We decided to explore the Algarve as an option with some tidal influence and were lucky to find Learn2Sail. We couldn't have had a better instructor than Dave. His calm considered manner and immense experience meant that we were in really good hands. He made the whole course fun, and at the same time packed in a wealth of learning across all aspects of sailing. We would thoroughly recommend the company, the skipper and the area in which to learn. We hope to return for a refresher before too long.
Written 15 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dominique & Nick Dowdney
6 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
I've wanted to learn how to sail for a long time and finally took the plunge in October 2022 with my husband. Our sailing journey began with Learn2Sail in Portimao & we chose their 'Beginner to Day Skipper course. Before embarking on the sailing practical courses, we completed an online theory course at home in the UK.
The online theory course took me much longer than the 40 to 50 hours guideline, as I wanted to make certain I'd absorbed the lessons at a rate that worked for me. My husband, however, took much less time. As an airline pilot, he already had a solid navigational background. Personally, I'd recommend allowing a little more time for the online course if you have that luxury. I believe it can be completed within a 6 month period. In the end, we had 3 weeks before beginning the practical course in Portimão & while this was beneficial for keeping all the lessons fresh in my head, for someone learning everything from scratch, the 3 week timescale felt at times, a little overwhelming.
If you are learning to use the VHF radio, allow time in a quiet space to complete your online VHF theory course. I chose to use the 2 day break while on board in between the 5 day Competent Crew & 5 day Day Skipper practical courses. In hindsight, these 2 days would have been better spent recharging my batteries. The practical course is tiring & if you're staying on board, the yacht is cleaned thoroughly in this time, restocked and any maintenance is carried out.
The practical sailing courses are thorough & there is a lot of groundwork covered in a relatively short space of time. Mark is truly a fantastic teacher. He is patient, kind & teaches in a way that makes learning to sail easy to understand & fun. I can't recommend his teaching skills highly enough! His wife, Jane is very friendly, organised & extremely helpful. Staying on board the yacht was a wonderful experience. It is clean & very well-stocked. Portimão Marina is suberb. The area is fantastic with incredible restaurants & a beautiful boardwalk along the beach.
Finally, after 12 days on board, I totally fell in love with Osprey. She's really is rather special. My husband & I always thought we'd end up with a catamaran one day but now we're not so sure!
Thank you SO much Mark & Jane!
The online theory course took me much longer than the 40 to 50 hours guideline, as I wanted to make certain I'd absorbed the lessons at a rate that worked for me. My husband, however, took much less time. As an airline pilot, he already had a solid navigational background. Personally, I'd recommend allowing a little more time for the online course if you have that luxury. I believe it can be completed within a 6 month period. In the end, we had 3 weeks before beginning the practical course in Portimão & while this was beneficial for keeping all the lessons fresh in my head, for someone learning everything from scratch, the 3 week timescale felt at times, a little overwhelming.
If you are learning to use the VHF radio, allow time in a quiet space to complete your online VHF theory course. I chose to use the 2 day break while on board in between the 5 day Competent Crew & 5 day Day Skipper practical courses. In hindsight, these 2 days would have been better spent recharging my batteries. The practical course is tiring & if you're staying on board, the yacht is cleaned thoroughly in this time, restocked and any maintenance is carried out.
The practical sailing courses are thorough & there is a lot of groundwork covered in a relatively short space of time. Mark is truly a fantastic teacher. He is patient, kind & teaches in a way that makes learning to sail easy to understand & fun. I can't recommend his teaching skills highly enough! His wife, Jane is very friendly, organised & extremely helpful. Staying on board the yacht was a wonderful experience. It is clean & very well-stocked. Portimão Marina is suberb. The area is fantastic with incredible restaurants & a beautiful boardwalk along the beach.
Finally, after 12 days on board, I totally fell in love with Osprey. She's really is rather special. My husband & I always thought we'd end up with a catamaran one day but now we're not so sure!
Thank you SO much Mark & Jane!
Written 6 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ben J
1 contribution
Apr 2022 • Friends
I attended Mark’s competent crew course and can say it was a great experience, the location is brilliant!
Mark’s teachings were crystal clear and he made everything super easy to understand. As the days went by and the course progressed, Mark’s vast experience shone through.
If there was anything I wasn’t sure about, he made sure by the end of the day I was on the right track.
I can’t recommend the Learn2Sail guys enough, I will be completing my skipper course with them for sure!
Mark’s teachings were crystal clear and he made everything super easy to understand. As the days went by and the course progressed, Mark’s vast experience shone through.
If there was anything I wasn’t sure about, he made sure by the end of the day I was on the right track.
I can’t recommend the Learn2Sail guys enough, I will be completing my skipper course with them for sure!
Written 28 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We'll be in Albuferia next week.
Can we go sailing for just one day?
Family of 4-5
Written 16 November 2017
Hi there. Sorry. We only do sailing courses and the shortest is the 3 day Start Yachting course. See our website for details.
Thanks for the enquiry.
Written 4 December 2018
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